If you needed another reason to convince you to exercise, now it seems absolutely clear that physical exercise improves brain function. It’s good for your body and your brain, especially if you get your heart rate up.
Listen to the whole story (physical exercise for the brain is just part of it) on NPR’s Fresh Air or click this link to get a recap (where you can view a transcript of the whole show or listen to it).
Now and again I find myself looking up pictures of Joe Pilates. I’m not sure why I do it. I think because I’m so impressed by him. I feel like if I stare at him a little I’ll learn more about him or the exercises. More than likely, I’ll probably just go crazy. But I love to look at him. He fascinates me. So I thought you might like flipping through some pictures too. This link will take you to google images on Joe Pilates.
Here is the recent claim on calories burned during a Pilates workout:
5.7 per minute for a 125-pound woman which is about 342 per hour.
Of course, Pilates isn’t about burning calories, but getting stronger from the inside out. Still, it’s good to know that stats.
The final day of taking pictures of my food! Today we celebrated my birthday at my Mom’s and I requested my usual meal that we have once a year. Most people refer to it as fried dough, but my Italian family refers to it as pizelles (to most Italians pizelles are cookies). My mom makes the best fried dough and once I year I devour it as if I haven’t eaten in centuries.
Workout: Walk 4 miles in 1 hour, 30-minute Pilates
Breakfast: Two poached eggs on 1 piece toast
Lunch: Left over chicken and asparagus
Appetizer: Bean dip on Triscuits
Dinner: SIX fried dough, some with sauce and cheese, some with granulated sugar
Dessert: Cherry Nut Cake with homemade dark chocolate ice cream
Drink: Cherry Soda (all natural)
Don’t think I passed on anything I desired today. My fried dough record is seven, but I couldn’t make it happen. By the end of the night I was so stuffed I didn’t think I’d ever need to feed myself again.
Thursday, 3/18
Exercise: Walked 3-4 miles outside, 1+ hours
Breakfast: Scrambled Eggs with Spinach and Toast with Peanut Butter
Snack: Fruit (not pictured because I can only post so many pics)
Lunch: Manicotti with Salad
Snack: Tostitos–snacked on handfuls throughout the afternoon (not pictured)
Dinner: Three slices homemade pizza (Tonight I made bruschetta, olive and four cheese pizza. I used the extra goat cheese from my salad. People should put goat cheese on pizza more often.) and a soda
